The Ninth Day of Chanukah

After all, if in London and New York we keep eight days of Pesach
as opposed to seven days in Israel, why don't we also add a day
onto Chanukah? Come to think of it, why don't we also keep two
days of Purim?

The Land of Israel is like a giant dynamo, pumping the spiritual
energy that keeps the whole world turning. When a person is in
EretzYisrael, he absorbs spirituality much more
easily than in the rest of the world.

So, outside of the Land of Israel we are given a second festival
day which helps us to absorb their holiness in a way that could
not be achieved in one day alone.

This is the case with the Torah festivals of Pesach, Shavuot and
Succot, which Hashem gave us. On these festivals, the holiness
comes from above and reaches downward to the earth.

But Chanukah and Purim represent Israel's aspiration to lift itself
out of this physical world toward the heavens - the striving from
below upward.

Through our own deeds we earned the festivals of Chanukah and
Purim. Thus, their sanctity is much more accessible to us. They
are close to our inner soul and we are able to experience them
equally, wherever we are in the world.

The lights of Chanukah are as bright for us in Los Angeles as
they are in the Holy City of Jerusalem.

Articles may be distributed to another person intact without prior permission. We also encourage you to include this material in other publications, such as synagogue or school newsletters. Hardcopy or electronic. However, we ask that you contact us beforehand for permission in advance at ohr@ohr.edu and credit for the source as Ohr Somayach Institutions www.ohr.edu